US History 2 Unit 1 Test
Who is Robber Baron (Identification)?
"Robber Barons" was the name inherited by men such as John D. Rockefeller for their ruthless tactics when it came to the industry, given by their critics. The Robber Barons, although sometimes thought of as bad, helped to shape America into the country that it was during the Gilded Age. Their wealth and success in business also worked to America's advantage in the long run.
What was "The Gospel of Wealth" (Identification)?
"The Gospel of Wealth" is a novel written by Andrew Carnegie in 1889 which previewed his experiences in life and talks about the responsibilities as a philanthropist by the "new upper class of self-made rich". This novel gave our generations an insight to life at that time and highlighted certain important values such as community, contribution and legacy.
What were the conditions for workers? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Average income of American Workers was $400-$500 a year - No job security - 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week - Unsafe, unhealthy factories led to frequent accidents and there was no compensation for injuries - Workers had no control of their work place - Women: $314 a year ($6 a week) - Men: $597 a year ($11 a week) - 1.7 million children under 15 employed
What was the Industrial Revolution? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Change from agricultural industry to a manufacturing industry - Profit is less for women and children - Expansion of railroads - Fabric is made in factories at the time - Harsh working conditions
What was the 2nd Industrial Revolution (1870-1914)? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Chemicals/Oils/Electricity became more common - Country was connect coast to coast by railroads - Railroads were a main source of transporting goods, people, etc. - Panama Canal was the route used before to transport goods (too long)
What are the Cons to Capitalism? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Corruption and ultimately enslaving - Creates class divisions - Economic inequalities - Unequal life chances - Creates separation of people from other people, workers separated from work
What was government like during the Progressive Era?
- Government should counteract inefficiency and exploitation (No socialism and No pure capitalism) - Direct election of senators - Implement City Manager and/or commission as forms of government - Create public ownership of utilities
What did Opponents of progressivism believe?
- Government should not have such a large influence on economic affairs - The Progressivism movement contradicted the laws of Social Darwinism - Unregulated business was the only way to ensure progress and the continuation of economic success
What did Labor Unions want? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Higher Wages - Better Working Conditions - More Benefits
What was racism like during the Progressive Era?
- Jane Addams: fought to get rid of the racial exclusions in the progressive movement - Booker T. Washington: promoted the strategy of self-help, in which blacks should work hard to prove to whites that they are worthy of respect - Failure of the progressives
What were the three major Labor Unions? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Knights of Labor - American Federation of Labor - Industrial Workers of the World (Wobbles)
What was Women like during the Progressive Era?
- Lowered working hours - Muller vs. Oregon 1908: 10 hour work days for women (loopholes is that no 10 hrs in a row; they can take a break and work longer) - Give support to working women through community programs and services (day care)
What are the Pros to Capitalism? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Minimal government intrusion into the public area (stays small) - People are more mobile in their social hierarchy (equal opportunity) - Freedom of experiment, invent and produce - wealth has unlimited growth potential - Very efficient
What were problems with businesses and no regulations? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- Monopolies had no competition therefore prices skyrocketed because they had no competition - No regard for wildlife (pollution) - Products made were unsanitary - Exploitation of workers
What was education like during the Progressive Era?
- Schools were child-centered - No corruption - Curriculum that promotes social change - School attendance laws - Juvenile Courts
What was the aftermath of industrialization? (The Progressive Era)
- Sharp increase in urbanization (fix labor conditions) - Wide gap between rich and poor - Middle class fought for reform and positive changes in society - Progressive Movement born
What was the goals of Labor Unions? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
- To negotiate with business owners/leaders as a group - To protect workers
What was labor like during the Progressive Era?
-Protect the working class by trying to give them life styles more like the middle-class - Wanted protective legislation - Labor Laws for Women and children - Worker's compensation - Unemployment insurance
What is the Philosophy of Progressivism?
1. Did not want to get rid of capitalism, just alleviate some of the problems of a PURELY capitalist system 2. Did not believe everyone was equal 3. The Gap between wealthy and poor should not be extreme 4. Corruption in government led to inefficiency 5. Government should look for whole society, not special interests
What were the Goals of Progressivism?
1. End abuses of power on all levels 2. Implement social programs to replace corruption institutions and reduce inequalities 3. Increase efficiency in economic, social and political institutions
What were the important groves in the progressive movement and people?
1. Middle class, educated white men - Samuel Gompers; W.E.B. Du Bois 2. Upper-Class, mostly women -Jane Addams 3. Muckrakers - Upton Sinclair; Jacob Riis
What are Muckrakers (Identification)?
A Muckraker is a person who introduces new problems by exposing illegal parts of businesses during the Progressive era creating fear. An example of a muckraker is Upton Sinclair who highlighted the problems in the meat packing industries as well as Jacob Riis who depicted the life of people undergoing poverty. These two people created fear which led to reform groups as well as the creation of the Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, strikes against employer's such as the coal miners, etc.
What is Socialism? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
A system of social organization in which property/income are subject to social control - Everything produced is product of society - Everyone who participates in producing a good is entitled to share in it - Society owns property for the benefit of all
What is Trust/Monopolies (Identification)?
A trust is a business which holds a large amount of power in the market while a monopoly means that there is no competition and thus there is a price soar. The trusts and monopolies found a way to corrupt the economy and manipulate money. Trusts and monopolies became an extremely impacting force on the American economy during the Gilded Age while they started to change how people went around business at that time.
What book famously outlined Capitalism? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations"
What is Capitalism? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
An economic system where there is a freedom from the private individual to pursue a profit with no or limited government regulation
Who was Andrew Carnegie (Identification)?
Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant coming from a poor family, moved to America at the age thirteen, starting off working at a cotton mill and then working up to the wealth that he would inherit. Carnegie's work to improve the American steel production resulted in the Carnegie Company manufacturing more steel than all the factories in Great Britain, giving America a major advantage and position of power in the world.
Who was Jane Addams (Identification)?
As a community worker, champion of organised labor and peace advocate, Jane Addams helped children to pick the right path in life - her many achievements led to a co-win of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 on her account. Jane Addams work was important and still relevant today because of her position as an idol for women's rights and those who are not treated as equals.
Who was Booker T. Washington (Identification)?
Booker T. Washington was an African-American who was a civil rights activist and educator, he was also the first leader of the Tuskegee Institute which was created to offer higher education for African-Americans. Booker T. Washington's influence on America was extremely important as it signified a turning point when it came to relations between African-Americans and white Americans. Although this problem has not yet been completely solved, Washington's movement had a strong impact on education for African-Americans.
What was the Election of 1912 (Identification)?
Candidates William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Eugene V. Debs were nominated for the election of 1912. The idea's of New Freedom and New Nationalism were supported by the two top candidates Roosevelt and Wilson which were in favor of limited powers in government. The idea of New Freedom was favored by the people which allowed him to become president with 435 electoral votes and 41 percent of the popular vote. The election of 1912 proved that improvement will continue for the next four years under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson as well as made Roosevelt's New Nationalism idea memorable for many years to come.
Who was Cornelius Vanderbilt (Identification)?
Cornelius Vanderbilt was both an American industrialist and a philanthropist, born in 1794, developed American railroads and later on in life founded his own university. Cornelius Vanderbilt's work in the American railroads made him extremely important as he made railroad transportation much more efficient, contributing to not only the present of america at that time, but also the future.
Why did businesses use cruel methods such as horizontal and vertical integration in order to make money? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
Economic system encourages it
Huge Gap between the Poor and Wealthy results in ________________________ and __________________________ (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
Growth of Labor Unions and Rise of Socialism
What is Horizontal/ Vertical Integration (Identification)?
Horizontal Integration is monopolies and trusts such as Standard Oil where big companies buy little ones. Vertical Integration on the other hand is when a company buys all industries needed to make your product for a cheaper price. These types of integration are important to know when it comes to the Gilded Age as they represent how big businesses such as Standard Oil and US Steel survived in order to become so successful. They are the key to Rockefeller and Carnegie successes when it came to control and their businesses as a whole.
Business owners looking to make as much money as possible used strategies like ________________________ and ____________________________ (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
Horizontal and vertical integration
What was the Haymarket Square Riot (Identification)?
In protest of the killing of a striker by the police force, roughly 1,200 people gathered at Haymarket Square to fight for what they believed in, yet as the riot went out of control the police fired into the crowd killing 8 men after a bomb was thrown into the police line. The Haymarket Square Riot resulted in the public starting to turn against the labor movement that was taking place during the Gilded Age.
Who was John D. Rockefeller (Identification)?
John D. Rockefeller, coming from a harsh upbringing, established the Standard Oil Company which took a different approach to the industry and joined with competition in a trust agreement - his company controlled 90% of American refining business. John D. Rockefeller's contributions to America as a whole through educational, scientific and religious causes guided the country towards being what it is today, along with his major contributions to the economy as a result of his company, Standard Oil.
Who invented Socialism? What did they believe? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
Karl Marx: felt society needed to move to socialism (government owns/regulates means of production) and eventually to communism (workers own means of production)
What is the Laissez-Faire (Identification)?
Laissez-Faire directly translates from French into "leave it", representing a laissez-faire economy (unrestricted capitalism) meaning that the government does not restrict companies in any ways. The policy of Laissez-faire strongly impacted economic policies around the Gilded Age, making it an important subject of study.
What is Child Labor?
Promoted shorter working hours/ Age limits/ safer conditions (Child Labor Laws)
What was New Nationalism (Identification)?
Roosevelt campaigned in the election of 1912 through the idea of New Nationalism, which was in favor of a limit in government power to support human safety and happiness. New Nationalism was the platform of the Bull Moose party who favored the working class.
Who is Samuel Gompers (Identification)?
Samuel Gompers, born in 1850, was an American Labor leader with a reputation for conservatism who was the first president of the AF of L, who after moving to America from England worked up to the success that he would find later in life. We still learn about Samuel Gompers today because his contributions to America as a whole in the Gilded Age strongly influenced the country both then and now. He is also noted with moving America's focus from American unionism to the issues of wages and working which made him an extremely important figure at that time.
What/Who was Social Darwinism/Charles Darwin (Identification)?
Social Darwinism is a form of economic philosophy based on the facts acquired by scientist Charles Darwin in regards to the theory of evolution by natural selection, suggesting a system of unrestrained competition to determine the "fittest". Although Charles Darwin did not support the political view on this matter, politicians used his work as a base mark. The principle of social darwinism was that there would be free competition in the economy. Social Darwinism is significant as it represents the corruption during the Gilded Age and how ruthless the economy had become. It also suggests a hierarchy where the rich were somehow superior to the poor, which can also be connected to the working condition issue in that time.
What is Socialism (Identification)?
Socialism is when everything produced is seen as a product of society and the belief that everyone who produces goods is entitled to a share in it - meaning that society as a whole rather than just an individual should own property for the benefit of all. Socialism is an extremely important concept from the Gilded Age as we can see it branching out into other things such as Marxism and Communism. These tied into parts of history hundreds of years from when socialism arose in the Gilded Age. By being able to understand how socialism worked in the Gilded Age, it opens up knowledge and helps us understand how it progressed over the years.
What were the Strikes (Homestead, Pullman, etc.) (Identification)?
Strikes such as Homestead and Pullman played a major part in the Gilded ages. The fight against unfair treatment and bad wages are represented by these strikes which were led by angry workers looking for equality. These strikes acted as a threat to the entire capitalist system and is still extremely important in American history today as it represents the hard workers of America at that time and the resistance against the path that America was going down economically.
What are the two classes in an industrialism capitalistic society? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
The Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat
What was the Bull Moose Party (Identification)?
The Bull Moose Party was another name for the Progressive Party led by Theodore Roosevelt which was in favor of benefiting the working class, women as well as children. The party received it's name when Theodore Roosevelt declared that "he was as strong as a bull moose" (United States History 434). The democratic party nominated Theodore Roosevelt in an attempt to grant him a second term in office. The Bull Moose Party had an important outcome for the Republican Party.
What was the Child Labor Law (Identification)?
The Child Labor Act was presented under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson in 1916, which said that products built by children under the age of 14 couldn't be shipped or purchased. The issue of child labor was a common problem in the progressive era where numerous strikes were seen in order to reduce working hours and higher pay which could possibly reduce the amount of injuries documented in a workplace during this time period. the Child Labor Act was the first official attempt to help end child labor, however, this act become later unconstitutional in the Senate during a case in 1918. The Child Labor Act was used to prevent employer's from treating children cruelly in the workplace instead of becoming a normality to see 14 year olds in a coal mine.
What was the Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914 (Identification)?
The Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914 emphasized how necessary the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was which stated that restrictive business practices, therefore, eliminating monopolies as well as defend trade. In addition, unions in favor of shorter working hours and lower pay were given the right to exist and protest because they didn't believe in eliminating trade like monopolies. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was a key anti-trust measure under Wilson's presidency as well as began to view unions as monopolies.
What was the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 (Identification)?
The Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 established 12 Farm land banks as well as the Farm Credit System. The Farm land banks are used to loan money to rural areas such as farms for their benefit. The Farm Credit System was established by Congress in 1916 in order to make sure that farmers had a strong source of credit. The Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 helped benefit farmers during the Progressive era based on the idea that most families were made of farmers who depending on their farm land to make money and provide for the family.
What was the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 (Identification)?
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 separated the nation into 12 different section where each section was given a federal severe bank. The federal bank was able to make and issue paper money in extreme circumstances as well as would give money to other banks in order to protect the banks from corruption and money troubles. This division allowed for the creation of the Federal Reserve System which later becomes one of Woodrow Wilson's best known accomplishments. This act was used to to protect the US economy at the time.
What was the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 (Identification)?
The Federal Trade Commision Act of 1914 was credited with creating the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission's was in charge of investigating violations on government restrictions, wrong food labeling, ending unjust business treatment, and obtaining business reports from big businesses. The Federal Trade Commission became a well needed group after they succeeded in finding 400 illegally spotted activities is big businesses which helps protect workers. This act was one example of Wilson's successful antitrust movements.
What was the Hepburn Act of 1906 (Identification)?
The Hepburn Act of 1906 helped minimize the amount of railroad passes which was seen as a bribe during the Gilded Age. In addition, it allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to make a maximum railroad rate. The Hepburn Act helped increase power in the government to have greater control over railroad regulations, which led to higher railroad fines allowing them to receive more money back in return.
What is the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 (Identification)?
The Interstate Commerce Act, issued in 1887, acted as a law establishing the government's rights to supervise railroad activities. As a result of this act, the railroads became the "first industry subject to federal regulation", making it an important pin-point in America's progression in history.
What was the Knights of Labor (Identification)?
The Knights of Labor were a Union created by Uriah Stephens and was open to all workers of any nationality, gender or skill and fought for shorter hours that came with "equal pay for equal work". It was founded in 1869 and it's main goal was to protect it's members when it came to work/employment. The Knights of Labor were important as they gave the members a say in their own working conditions and wages, which reflects our society right now. Although we are still fighting for equal wages, the Knights of Labor were one of the first organisations to bring up and approach the problem with intent of fixing it.
What is the Meat Inspection Act/Pure Food and Drug (Identification)?
The Meat Inspection Act enforced the health requirements that should go into meat packing in order to make it edible and safe. The Pure Food and Drug Act stopped the production of certain foods to check for correct labeling on packaged items. The Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act were acts passed after the truth behind the meat packing industries was realized by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle. In addition, these laws were promoted by Roosevelt in order to keep his promise of protecting citizens from harmful substances that are seen in consumable items. These two acts were one of the first attempts to help import the cleanness of a work place and food ingredients.
What was the Payne Aldrich Tariff (Identification)?
The Payne Aldrich Tariff was a law put in place by Congress which raised taxes on imported goods in order to protect high tariffs which was favored by the Conservative Republicans. William Howard Taft ran for president for the election of 1904 where he promoted the idea of lowering tariffs for the people, however when he became president Congress passed the Payne Aldrich Act which upset Taft's voters. President Taft continued to worsen the situation for himself by promoting and signing the Payne Aldrich Act which resulted in Taft's reputation of being weak as well as split the Republican Party.
What is the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 (Identification)?
The Sherman Antitrust Act was issued in 1890 and outlawed monopolistic businesses, this act was the first of its kind. The act's goal was to prohibit any interference of free trade, but was extremely hard to uphold due to it's not nearly well enough defined terms. As an example, they did not actually state the word "trust", making prosecution much harder. The significance of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was that it took a stride towards defeating monopolies and towards a more honest government. This act was also the first to try to overpower companies such as Standard Oil, and even though there were ways around the act it gave the federal government a better understanding of the steps that would need to be taken .
What was the Square Deal (Identification)?
The Square Deal was a solution developed by Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency in order to demonstrate an equal balance between employers over employees. The Square deal was first demonstrated during Roosevelt's first economic crisis where coal miner's went on strike in order to get shorter working hours and high pay. This led to the lowered production of coal allowing the people to think that they would freeze to death. Roosevelt's Square Deal not only fixed the problem by negotiating with the mine owner's in order to give the coal miners a 10 percent wage increase and lowered their working hours, but allowed Roosevelt to becoming very popular, which led to Roosevelt being elected for a second term.
What was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (Identification)?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is remembered as one of the deadliest industrial fired in the city of New York's history, in this fire around 145 workers were killed. It is thought that the majority of these deaths would have been possible to prevent if better conditions were put in place. This factory fire plays an extremely large part in America's history as it prompted better laws and regulations to improve safety for all workers.
What was the Women's Christian Temperance Union (Identification)?
The Women's Christian Temperance Union was created by a group of women who wanted to fight specifically against the usage of alcohol. Their goal was to achieve a prohibition so that no men would be able to go out to bars, waste money, and then come back to beat their wives anymore. This Temperance Union is remembered in history today because it was the reason that the prohibition against alcohol was put in place in the 1920's, meaning that their goal was completed (even though the amendment only lasted for 13 years and was disliked by many)
How does the government use the idea of Laissez Faire? (Gilded Age/Repercussions of the Industrial Revolution)
The government lets go from the British government's control with no involvement or regulations ("No taxation without representation")
What was the Greenback Party (Identification)?
The word "greenback" comes from the paper money that the government printed to make sure that enough money was in circulation. The Greenback Party, active between 1874 and 1889, had a strong ideology against monopolies. They wanted to replace paper money with hard money instead. The party didn't stay around for long, slowly disappearing after their third run for the American presidency. The Greenback Party bent other political parties following it in the direction towards what they are today, and also as a whole represented the struggles of farmer groups who acted against the new industry, such as the railroads as they were affecting their work.
What was US Steel/Standard Oil (Identification)?
US Steel and Standard Oil were companies created by successful industrialists Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, which were extremely successful in their industries. These companies built America into the strong country that it is today, and greatly improved the steel and oil industry in the country.
What was the Underwood Tariff Bill (Identification)?
Underwood Tariff Bill helped reduce the rate of tariffs for the first time since the Civil War. Woodrow Wilson helped support this bill because he believed that higher tariffs eliminated competition which contributed to the creation of monopolies. The Underwood Tariff Bill disliked by the senate, however tariff rates were reduced by even more during the time of the Underwood Tariff Bill because of the use of the bully pulpit. The Underwood Tariff Bill also helped create federal income taxes and was seen as a way to make better businesses organized.
Who was J.P. Morgan (Identification)?
United States Steel was established by J.P. Morgan who was a banker who had created one of the most successful companies at that time and also majorly contributed towards the American railroads. Towards the end of his career J.P. Morgan controlled roughly one-sixth of the American railroads as a result of his hard work. J.P. Morgan acted as an extremely important figure in America's history due to his enormous influence when it came to stabilizing the American market economy when it was in financial trouble, and also stabilizing and many panics, such as the Panic of 1907.
Who was W.E.B. Du Bois (Identification)?
W.E.B Du Bois stood up for African-American rights and was the first of his race to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard university. He also founded the NAACP which was a civil rights organisation, the NAACP is still around today, working to make life better for African-Americans. W.E.B Du Bois, much like Booker T. Washington, acted as a strong influence from the African-American population during the Gilded Age, thus making him an imperative part of American history when studying that period of time.
Who was Boss Tweed (Identification)?
William Magear Tweed, more commonly known as Boss Tweed, was an American politician who established a "network of corruption", otherwise known as the Tweed Ring. He became the leader of Tammany Hall and was elected the New York Senator, both of these being in 1868. Boss Tweed was an important figure in the Gilded Age as he gave a perfect example of the type of corruption that was going on at that time. His fall of power is also extremely significant as it signified a new day for the American economy which could be more honest and strive for less corruption.
What was New Freedom (Identification)?
Woodrow Wilson campaigned in the election of 1912 supporting the idea of New Freedom, which would help limit the power of government and big businesses in order to bring about improvement by supporting smaller businesses and ending problems demonstrated in the progressive era. Woodrow Wilson's idea of New Freedom allowed him to win the Presidential election of 1912 as this was one of his most important ideas of his presidency, which later led to the Clayton Antitrust Act attempting to eliminate monopolies.
Why did people begin to think that socialism not successful?
progressives were too reliant on the capitalist system to want to overthrow it
